A Day in Manhattan
by mamaXunicorn
Summary: Post-Manhattan. After the heart wrenching reunion of Neal and Emma, while still in Manhattan Emma wants to spend the day in the city with her son. But her son has other plans.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello everybody! I decided to write this because of so many Swan Thief feels because of Manhattan. This will probably be a 3-4 shot with a possible sequel (or two...) I don't know how far I plan on going with this. I'll see where my muse takes me.**_

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Emma groggily dragged herself out of bed, careful not to disturb Henry sleeping beside her. The kid was out like a light and she was more than grateful for that. For one, they were all put through the emotional ringer the day before and it was a bit too much for an eleven year old to handle so he needed the sleep. And for another, she didn't feel like answering any more questions Henry had about Neal...at least not yet.

Although she explained why she lied Henry did still give her a bit of a cold shoulder, even after he spent a little while talking with Neal. She realized now that probably made him even more mad at her. Neal was a very charming man and Henry was very much his father's son. So needless to say, they got along quite well despite the initial awkwardness of their new discovery of each other.

It was all very tense. Neal, or Bae or whatever his name was, didn't want Gold around. Emma didn't want to be around Neal but Henry was more than content to stay and talk with his father all day.

Henry and Neal stayed out on the fire escape for a little while, leaving Emma in a terribly awkward position with Gold. She could tell by the look on his face that things had not gone well with his son and that he probably had questions as to how and why his son is her son's father.

When they did come back in, Neal completely ignored his father's presence and it wasn't too long after that that Emma could not take the tension and left with Henry and Gold in toe.

Emma rubbed her hand over her face and groaned at the coffee maker on the counter but the lack of coffee in the hotel room.

After throwing on a semi public acceptable outfit she made her way down to the small dining area where they were serving breakfast. She made coffee for herself and picked up a few bagels to bring back to the room for herself and Henry.

When she got back to the room she placed the bagels on the table and then collapsed into the chair, clutching desperately at her coffee.

She stared distantly at the small wooden table and even forgot about the coffee she dragged herself all the way downstairs to get. Though over the last eleven years thoughts of Neal had been few and far between, for the last 16 hours, since she tackled him to the ground, he hadn't left it. All the anger she felt toward him resurfaced, all the hurt too and even more so now that she learned he was Rumplestiltskin's son. All those years ago she thought she knew Neal but now she realized she knew absolutely nothing about him. That guy she fell in love with was not the same guy living just blocks away.

A year ago when Henry came back into her life, her life changed drastically. She was thrust into her son's life again, brought back to a magical town, befriended her own mother, broke a curse, travelled to the land she originally came from and fought ogres and evil sorceresses and pirates...and the one thing that she thought was normal in her life was her past with Neal. Even though it broke her heart when he left, it wasn't like she hadn't been left before. She thought her biological parents abandoned her. All her foster families abandoned her. Neal was just another person on that list. But he wasn't. He was from that land too. She was the savior of a curse that was created to find him.

Emma closed her eyes and rested the untouched coffee on the table before resting her arms over the table and burying her head between them.

She didn't know how long she actually stayed that way but when she lifted her head at the sound of Henry's voice there was definitely a crick in her neck.

Henry, still dressed in pajamas and his eyes still trying to blink away sleep, stood on the opposite side of the table. Emma was a little relieved to see concern in his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She sighed after a moment, rubbing her neck. "I'm okay." A small, reassuring smile crossed her lips and Henry's lips tugged up in response before he slid into the chair.

Emma grabbed her coffee and nodded to the plate of bagels in the center of the table. "I got you breakfast, kid."

"Thanks." Henry murmured and reached for one of the bagels.

Emma watched him, a slight frown on her face as he absentmindedly played with the bagel instead of eating it. "Hey, kid." She called and Henry lifted his head. "Are _you_ okay?"

Henry bit his lip softly but nodded quietly. Emma gave him a skeptical look and he just smiled and began to nibble on his bagel.

"You know you can have something on it." Emma remarked lightly, trying to lift the mood as she smirked and pushed a knife and some butter packets to him.

Henry met her eyes and smirked back and her stomach dropped. For a split second, she could have sworn she was staring back at Neal. She lightly shook her head and took a sip of her coffee as Henry began to butter his bagel.

They ate quietly, only making a few small general comments here and there, staying clear of anything that had to do with Neal or Bae or Gold.

"So." Emma started, leaning across the table after they had finished. Henry raised his brow expectantly, waiting to here what his mother had to say. "We have another day here at least. New York is one of the greatest cities and I think you should see it. What do you say?"

Henry pressed his lips together, his little brow furrowing in thought. Emma blinked in astonishment as she watched him mull it over. Was he truly that mad at her that he'd rather spend a whole day in a hotel room than see the city with her?

But as it turned out, as usual with Henry, his mind was going somewhere else. "Okay." He agreed. "But...can we bring Neal?"

Emma gaped at him for a moment before composing herself. "Henry." She sighed heavily. "I don't know..."

"Please." Henry sat up in his chair and stared at her with a look he must have known she couldn't refuse. "I want to spend time with my dad."

_Great. _She thought. He was playing the guilt trip on her. She did just want to have a day that would distract her from Neal, a day where it would just be her and Henry. But she realized, now that Henry and Neal knew about each other there would be no more just her and Henry. And she did agree to let Neal into Henry's life and to keep it as mess-free as possible. Though she didn't know how likely that was if Henry always insisted they all spend quality time together.

"Henry, he may not even want to go." Emma tried to reason but instantly regretted it at the sight of Henry's crestfallen face. The way Henry attached to his grandfather Emma knew he was so eager to have a father of his own and one that loved him. As much as she hated it, she needed to give Neal and Henry that chance.

"But we could ask." Emma offered up and Henry's face brightened again and despite the feeling of dread building up inside of her at the thought of having to spend time with Neal, she couldn't help the small smile on her face at seeing Henry happy.

"I'll go get dressed!" Henry cried as he hopped off the chair and took off toward the bedroom.

Emma shook her head as she watched him go.

They were in for one hell of a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I did not expect this chapter to be so long or to be as emotional as the last few paragraphs are. But I hope you enjoy some SwanThiefFire family feels! And I apologize if anything is inaccurate about the Empire State Building...I am a New Yorker who has shamefully never been inside it. **_

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Neal could not remember the last time he slept in this late. It was almost noon and the sunlight was streaming in brightly through his window. He tried to ignore it the best he could, pulling the bed sheets over his head and shutting his eyes tightly.

It had been one hell of a weekend, from seeing Emma again, to meeting his father again, to learning he had a son. The nightmares he had told his father about hadn't happened in a few years but they were back last night with a vengeance. Memories of not only that night he abandoned him but of the months before when his father lost himself to the magic of the Dark One.

Just knowing he was here, in _his_ city was enough to make him want to stay in that bed forever.

And then there was Emma who, rightfully, hated his guts. The swan keychain rested neatly on his dresser was more than enough proof of that. When he got that postcard from August he was trying to build up the courage to go to Storybrooke and see her. What changed his mind was the fact that Emma wouldn't probably want to see him and his father was there. But then she literally came slamming into his life again, bringing with her their son.

Henry was the only good thing to come out of the events of yesterday. Learning he was a father scared the hell out of him but the kid was amazing and just as eager to know him.

And for one hell of a reason the universe decided to bring the three people in every world that could make him so damn emotional together in one spot. His father, bringing back the feelings of anger and resentment. Emma, who brought back feelings of regret. And his son...Henry, the one that made him feel like maybe his life wasn't so horrible after all.

For the second day in a row, the buzzer in his apartment went off. He didn't know who it was the last time and still he bolted, fearing the worst. And hearing that buzzer again, now knowing who was behind it, he felt dread course through his veins.

Neal gritted his teeth together and glared into the darkness under the safety of his blanket. He knew Rumplestiltskin was stubborn, even more than he was, but was he really that persistent to get to know him after Neal denied him the day before?

Neal let it go, hoping that if it was his father he'd just go away after no answer.

But only a few seconds passed before the buzzer rang again. And then again.

With a growl, Neal tossed the sheets off and stormed over to the intercom, forcefully stabbing the speaker. "Yeah?" He grumbled coldly on the off chance it was not his father.

A few beats passed before there was a low question. "...dad?"

Instantly Neal felt his body relax and he slumped up against the wall in relief, still holding onto the speaker button. The sound of his son's voice was music to ears after that panic. "Henry?"

Henry must have noticed the change in Neal's voice because the hesitance in his own disappeared. "Yeah!"

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "What are you doing here?"

There was a moment of silence and then Henry spoke again. "Can you let us up?"

Neal could have sworn his heart stopped for a second. Would his father be that cruel to use Henry to get to him? "U-us?" He cleared his throat. "Who's us?"

"Me and Emma!" Henry answered happily and Neal let out a breath in relief. He would take Emma over his father any day, no matter how mad she was at him.

"Hold on a sec, kid." He answered and released the button. He jogged over into his bedroom picking up the first clean clothes he could find and changing into them. He quickly splashed some water on his face and a ran hand through his messy bed head.

He then ran back to the intercom and buzzed open the gates. He let out a breath, shaking his hands nervously as he stared at the door. He certainly didn't expect to see them again so soon, especially not Emma, though he imagined she was just here because of Henry.

It was an excruciatingly long minute before he heard footsteps down the hall and soft voices of Emma and Henry. He held his breath and waited until they knocked, then waited a few more seconds before opening the door, exhaling through his nose as a smile crossed his lips.

"Hey." He greeted warmly, his eyes flickering briefly over to Emma who looked so unamused before fully focusing his attention on Henry.

Henry beamed back at him. "Hi!" The boy greeted excitedly.

There was a small pause of silence before Neal stepped aside. "Come in, please."

Emma grimaced slightly as she followed her son who practically bounding into the apartment. Neal chewed on his lower lip softly, watching her as she passed and then closed the door behind them.

"So uh," Neal clapped his hands against his sides as he took a few steps toward them, "What brings you over here?" He directed the question at both of them but his eyes found their way over to Emma and seemed to stay there.

Emma rolled her eyes slightly, slipping her hand onto Henry's shoulder and holding him in front of her. "I wanted Henry to see the city while we're here." She answered tensely, keeping a steady eye on him. "His only condition was that you come along too."

Neal's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at Henry, who met his eyes with a smile. He swallowed and shifted on his feet. "You want me to come?"

Henry nodded, still grinning at him. A small smile of awe crossed Neal's lips and his heart leapt as he stared at Henry. This boy had only met him the day before and was already accepting him into his heart, into his life.

Neal's eyes flickered back to Emma and that loving feeling began to fade. "And you're...okay with that?"

Emma pressed her lips together. It was obvious that she wan't okay with it but was going to pretend to be for Henry's sake. She shrugged lightly, "I don't know how long you've been here but its probably a lot longer than I ever was. You'll know the city better. And..." She squeezed Henry's shoulder. "He wants to know his Dad. I can't take that from anyone, especially him."

Neal's lips twitched in a small smile. It was always like Emma, to do the brave thing even if she risked hurting herself. He nodded to her curtly and the sides of her mouth pulled upward slightly in a sad half smile. He looked back down to Henry and his smile widened. "Count me in."

Henry grinned brightly and bounced on his heels excitedly. He looked up at his mother and Emma forced a small smile back at him.

Neal grabbed the same gray jacket he'd been in yesterday and slipped it on. "So," He said as he went to open the door, "You have any idea what you want to do?"

Emma shot him a look as they walked back out into the hall. "That's what you're here for, tour guide."

Neal smirked to himself. Emma could still tease him, good. He grabbed his keys and then shut the door as he walked out, moving to the opposite side of Henry.

"It's a big city." Neal explained as they stepped out on the streets, turning to look at them both. "There's a lot to do."

Emma narrowed her eyes slightly. "Children friendly, Neal."

His lips twisted into his trademark grin. "I know."

Emma rolled her eyes and placed one hand on her hips, keeping the other secure on Henry's shoulder.

"Oh!" Neal snapped his fingers. "The Toys R Us, kids love that right?"

Emma had only spent a few months in New York but she knew enough about it to know about the legendary Toys R Us with the ferris wheel inside the building. She sighed in exasperation, "He's eleven, not five."

"Hey, you said kid friendly." Neal retorted with a shrug. He thought for another long moment before a smile lit up his face. "The Empire State Building."

Henry's eyes widened. "I learned about that in school! It's one of the tallest buildings in the world!"

"Yes it is." Neal grinned, thrilled at the boy's enthusiasm. "And we can go all the way to the top. Would you like that?"

"Absolutely!" Henry beamed and tore away from Emma to stand beside Neal. Emma frowned as her son left her side and she briefly met Neal's gaze before tightening her jaw and crossing her arms as she stepped up behind them.

Neal slipped his arm around Henry's shoulders, pulling the boy against his side though he was unsure if that action would make Emma feel worse or better. The expression on her face was unreadable as she stared at him coldly and he sighed quietly to himself, looking down at Henry.

"Alright, let's go." He gently squeezed Henry's shoulder and they started to walk down the busy streets of New York, headed to the Empire State Building.

A few blocks down, Neal stopped them in front of a vendor and Henry looked up at him inquisitively. Neal grinned at him as he took out his wallet, "Kid, if there's one thing you have to do while in New York its have one of their pretzels." He handed the vendor a couple bills in exchange for a pretzel and then handed it to Henry.

"Cool!" Henry grinned as he took it. "Mr. Gold bought me a hotdog yesterday."

Neal's face hardened for a moment at the mention of his father but he quickly shook it off, leaning down to stage whisper to Henry. "I'll tell you a little secret." Henry stared at him, his eyes widening slightly and Neal smirked. "The pretzels...so much better than the hotdogs."

The two shared a smile as Neal winked at him and then stood up straight. He caught Emma staring at them with a peculiar expression and he shrugged, "What? Am I not allowed to spoil my kid?"

Emma's face scrunched up slightly. "Just keep walking, Neal."

"Alright." He lifted his hands in the air and then placed his arm back around Henry, guiding the boy as he happily munched on the pretzel.

Emma caught up to them and started walking beside Henry. Henry looked over at her and smiled, ripping off a piece of the pretzel and extending it to her. "You want a piece, Mom?"

"Uh..." Part of her was telling her no. To not to give into it and pretend they were just some cute little family on the street, sharing pretzels and having fun. But the way Henry was looking at her, his brown eyes eager and full of love and pure joy, she simply couldn't refuse. She smiled ruefully and took the piece of pretzel. "Thanks Henry."

Henry smiled and then continued to eat his pretzel. As Emma held the pretzel in her hand, she met Neal's eyes across Henry's head and she huffed, sticking the piece in her mouth before looking forward.

It was another ten to fifteen minutes before they reached the empire state building and Henry stopped in front of it, his head tilting almost painfully backwards as he gaped up at tall structure. "Woah." He muttered.

Emma chuckled genuinely for the probably the first time since they got to New York at Henry's purely innocent reaction. "They don't have things like this in Storybrooke, do they kid?"

"Nope." Henry answered, still staring up at the building.

"So," Neal spoke, bringing Henry and Emma's attention to him as he stepped in front of them with a smile, "Are you ready to go the top?"

Henry nodded eagerly and reached forward and grabbed Neal's hand. "Let's go!" He tugged on his hand, moving towards the front doors and Neal raised his brow, before smiling and gripping onto Henry's hand. He looked back to Emma, pressing his lips together and held out his other hand for her. Emma glared at him for a second and then walked to the other side of Henry.

"Woah." Emma muttered once they got into the building, seeing the line of people just waiting. "Is it always this crowded?"

"On a weekend, yeah." Neal said but then flashed a smile. "But don't worry, I know a guy."

Emma resisted an eye-roll. "Of course you do."

Neal grinned and making sure Henry was safe beside Emma, walked over to the ticket booth, waiting on the line until he came to the last window and he leaned on the counter with a grin.

The slightly older man behind the glass grinned at the familiar face. "Neal Cassidy! Why, I haven't seen you in ages, boy. How've you been?"

Neal shrugged. "Doing alright, Rick. And yourself?"

"Doing just fine. What brings you by here today?"

Neal smiled and straightened up, moving aside to reveal Emma and Henry. "I have some guests with me. This is my...uh...Emma and Henry." He motioned to the each of them and Emma smiled slightly at the awkward introduction but Henry grinned and waved happily.

Rick glanced between Neal and Henry a few times, his brow raising. "Is that your kid, Neal?"

Neal felt a swell of pride in his chest and he grinned as he slipped his arm around Henry. "Yeah, he is."

"He looks just like you." Rick shook his head with a smile. "I didn't know you had any children."

Neal shrugged sheepishly. "Neither did I until recently." And before any awkward moments could arise from that statement, Neal approached the counter once more. "But hey, I was wondering. It's the kids first time in New York, he really wants to see the view from up top."

Rick smiled and held up his hand, shaking his head. "Say no more, Neal. For you and your sweet family...half off the express tickets."

Neal smiled and pulled out his wallet. "Rick, you have always been the man." He went to hand over his credit card when Emma stepped up and grabbed his wrist. "Hold on. I'll pay for Henry and myself."

Neal shot her a look. "Don't be ridiculous, Emma. It's my treat, seriously."

Emma matched his stare with a glare and he simply smiled and continued to hand the card over. Emma narrowed her eyes and released his wrist, stepping back to stand beside Henry.

Rick handed over the tickets and returned his card with a smile. "Enjoy yourself, Neal."

"I will man, thanks." He tapped the counter and turned back, slipping his card back into his wallet and then handing out the tickets.

Emma accepted hers and met his eyes. "Don't you dare think you're paying for everything today."

Neal sighed. "If you don't want me paying for you, fine. But I'm paying for Henry." Emma went to protest and he cut her off with a small shake of his head. "He's my son, Emma. This is only the second day I've known him. I've missed eleven years. The least I could do for him is pay for this one day in New York. Okay?"

Emma stared back at him, meeting his intense stare head on. Then she swallowed thickly and nodded, breaking his gaze. "Yeah, fine, okay."

"Alright." Neal nodded and looked over her shoulder to see Henry standing a few feet away, eagerly looking toward the entrance. He looked back at his parents and smiled, "Come on guys!"

"He's waiting for us." Neal said quietly and then moved past her toward Henry, a smile lighting his features as he approached.

Emma closed her eyes tightly and let out a staggering breath. She shook her head as she turned around and approached Neal and Henry.

The three walked through the express line, Henry seemingly oblivious to the tension between his parents as he stood between them. They each handed their tickets to the lady standing there and she removed the rope, letting them through.

Another guide led them to the elevator with a few other guests. Henry grinned as he stepped onto the elevator and looked up at Emma, "Have you ever been to the top?"

Emma's face relaxed slightly as she looked down at her son and she shook her head. "No I haven't."

"Cool! Its your first time too!"

"Yes." Emma smiled and reached down to take his hand, happy to be able to share this experience with him.

Henry watched in awe as the numbers of the floors went up and up and up until it reached the 86th floor. The door pinged open and Henry started to move out but Neal reached out and gripped his shoulder. Henry turned his head and looked up at him, furrowing his brow. "This isn't the top." Neal explained. "We can get out here if you want but the view from the top top is much cooler."

Henry grinned up at him and nodded. "Let's go up."

They waited until some of the guests all piled out of the elevator and the door pinged closed and the elevator continued up to the 102nd floor.

Once again the doors pinged open and Henry looked up to Neal expectantly. Neal smiled down at him and nodded. "This is it."

Henry grinned and grabbed both of his parent's hands and pulled them out of the elevator. There were already a lot of people standing around peering out behind the glass to look out at the city.

Neal led them over to a more clear spot and looked down at Henry. "Go ahead, kid. Look out."

Henry bit his lip excitedly and released their hands and ran over to the edge, peering out at the city. An audible gasp escaped his lips and his jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he took in the view. "Oh my god." He whispered in awe.

Emma came up beside him and looked out and a small smile found its way to her face. Emma had been in too many cities to even count and the view from below was always the same, no matter what city. But the view from above, over New York, was simply breathtaking.

Neal smiled softly to himself, watching Emma and Henry take in the sight for the first time and then he slowly walked over to stand beside Henry.

"It really is incredible." He remarked, slowly shaking his head. "You don't need magic to see something like this."

Emma's smile slipped away and she slowly turned her head to look at Neal. This whole time she couldn't nor did she want to feel any pity toward him. But that was only because she saw him as Neal Cassidy, the man who abandoned her and let her go to prison. For the first time, looking at him now, the lost and sad expression in his eyes as he stared out into the distance, she saw him as Baelfire, the little boy who was burned by his father's obsession with magic.

Neal blinked, feeling someone watching him and he turned his head, meeting Emma's stare. She didn't even try to look away and her face softened and her eyes held a twinge of sadness. He sniffed and swallowed, tensing his jaw as he looked away from her and back out at the city.

Emma chewed on her lip softly as she turned her head back.

Neal suddenly jumped, startled, as Henry turned to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Neal gaped down at the boy and then looked over to Emma who was actually smiling at the affectionate gesture. Before Neal even had a chance to react though, Henry pulled away and smiled up at him.

"What was that for?" Neal asked, his voice a lot more hoarse than he would have liked.

"As a thank you." Henry answered with a small shrug. "I always wanted to do something like this with my dad."

Neal felt his chest tighten and he let out a breath as he smiled down at him, reaching over to affectionately rub his head. "Anytime, kid."

Henry grinned and then turned back to looking out. Neal inhaled sharply and covered his mouth with his hand, the sudden, new emotions building up inside of him was almost too much to handle. He quickly swallowed those emotions as best he could before nudging Henry, "Hey, why don't we go try another spot on the building."

"Yeah!" Henry agreed and took off in another direction.

"Henry, don't run!" Emma called out after him and Neal chuckled as Henry seemed to ignore her call.

Emma sighed and shook her head and they started to follow after him.

Swallowing her pride, Emma looked up at Neal. "Well, I'll tell you what. You sure know how to make people love you."

Neal frowned slightly as he looked down at her. "I'm not going to hurt him, Emma."

She inhaled deeply. "I hope not." She shook her head, mostly to herself before continuing. "You are very good with him though."

Neal smiled as Henry came into view, his little face once again a picture of awe as he stared out at the city view. "I guess I never knew how much I wanted to be a father until I knew about him." His smile fell as he shook his head, swallowing thickly. "It scares me though, you know? Because my father is all sorts of crazy." He motioned over to Henry, his face scrunching up. "I don't want him to resent me like I resent mine."

"Well.." Emma said softly. "Unless you do something stupid, he won't resent you. He doesn't now, he loves you."

"You expect me to do something stupid...don't you?" Neal wondered.

Emma sighed and turned to him in exasperation. "I don't know, Neal! You left me and that is scarred into my memory forever."

Neal turned to face her, stopping her in the middle of the path and her eyes widened as she took a small step backwards, eyeing him carefully. "Neal..." She warned.

"Relax, okay?" He looked down at her. "I'm not going to do anything. I just..." He sighed. "Yesterday was insane for both of us."

She scoffed. "That's an understatement."

"Yeah, alright." He conceded. "And I know I was mostly caught up in the fact that my father was back that I didn't really address us."

Emma gave him a look. "There is no us, Neal."

"Yes there is." He replied. "Whether you like it or not theres a history between us, Emma. And he's standing right over there. I don't...I don't want to upset you anymore than I already have."

"Then don't." She muttered coldly, staring directly into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Emma." He said and Emma swallowed thickly. "I didn't say that yesterday and I should have. I am so sorry. And I know that it's not going to make anything up or make it better but it needed to be said." He paused for a moment and they held each other's gaze, the tension surrounding them could be cut with a knife. He let out a slow breath as he slowly shook his head. "I loved you too." Emma's eyes widened slightly but she made no other move. "I don't want you to ever think otherwise. What we had...it was real. I didn't know about you and you didn't know about me or even about yourself. Being with you was nothing about the curse, about magic. I was serious about Tallahassee. I wanted that with you more than anything and it kills me every day to know I gave that up."

Despite herself, Emma found her jaw suddenly quivering and no matter how badly she wanted to she could not look away from his eyes.

"It should have been me in that jail cell. I've known that for eleven years."

Tears glittered Emma's eyes. "Then why did you send me." She bit out.

"You would have stayed with me, you would have waited."

Emma shook her head slowly, her eyes written with sorrow. "So what?" She whispered fiercely. "So we move to Tallahassee, raise Henry together, and then you convince me to go to Storybrooke when I'm 28. Would that have been so bad?"

"Would you have believed me?" He asked. "If I told you the truth?"

Emma blinked quickly, forcing back the tears with all that was in her. "I don't know. But we would have been together and that, to me, was worth more than anything."

"Emma-"

Emma shook her head, finally breaking their eye contact and wordlessly moved past him, heading toward Henry.

Neal stayed rooted to the spot, his eyes closing slowly. He took a few deep breaths, cursing himself for being such an idiot for bringing up their past on a day that was supposed to be fun for Henry.

He eventually turned around and walked slowly over to meet Henry and Emma. For a brief second he met Emma's eyes and she had done a remarkable job covering up that she was nearly in tears a minute ago. Neal rested his arms against the ledge and leaned there, looking down at Henry. "Are you enjoying yourself, Henry?"

Henry looked over to him and smiled softly but there was something off in his eyes. One look at him and Neal knew he had at least seen him and Emma's emotional conversation.

"Yes." Henry said. "It's really cool up here."

"Good." Neal smiled slightly. "I'm glad." He let out a breath as he turned to face him more. "Well, its still early. The city is a large place, do you want to see more?"

Henry smiled but quickly glanced over to Emma and her lips twitched upwards as she she nodded.

"Sure!" Henry replied. "What's next?"

Neal smiled warmly. "Central park is nice."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hello everyone! I loved all the feedback! This chapter goes all over the place between angst and light fluffy humor to angst again...mostly Bae/Rumple angst though. This is the final chapter of this story but there will be a sequel, picking up where this left off, involving Neal's decision to go to Storybrooke.**_

_**On another note, I switched from calling Neal, Neal to Bae in the last paragraphs because it's seen from Gold's POV and he'll always see his son as Bae.**_

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They took a cab to Central Park and the whole five minute ride was incredibly awkward. Emma was silent as she stared out the window, watching passing buildings and tourists. Neal sat on the opposite side of the car, tapping his fingers anxiously against his thighs as once every minute or so stole glances over to Emma. Henry sat between them, his eyes shifting back and forth between them the whole ride, occasionally meeting Neal's eyes as he looked to Emma.

Neal let out a small sigh of relief as the cab finally pulled up in front of the park. Emma was the first to get out without a word and Henry scooted out after her. Neal paid the driver and followed behind them.

He found them both looking at him, Emma, her expression unreadable, and Henry, inquisitive. "Is this it?" He asked.

"Yeah." Neal answered with a smile as he walked over to them. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Emma made sure that Henry was between them at all times and when Neal would wrap his arm around Henry to show him something specifically, she took a side step away which did not go unnoticed by Neal.

After a few minutes of pure silence, Neal decided to break it by talking to Henry. "So, are there any parks in Storybrooke?"

Henry shook his head. "No. Not like this. I used to have an old castle that was me and Emma's spot. But..." He frowned and gave a lighthearted shrug. "A storm came and destroyed it. My other mom built a new one but it wasn't the same."

Neal faltered in his step, furrowing his brow as he tapped Henry's shoulder and beside him, Emma's eyes widened. "Woah, kid...your other mom?"

"Yeah." Henry answered simply. "Regina. My adopted mom."

Neal gaped at him for a moment and then looked over at Emma. She stared back at him coldly, her face hard. "Adopted?"

She swallowed thickly, keeping her eyes stern. "You can't raise a baby in jail, Neal."

"Emma-" He whispered, his tone full of regret. She only scoffed and shook her head. "It was my only choice...to do what was best for him."

He slowly shook his head, stunned and heart broken into silence. All those years ago, he had only tried to do what was right for her and he ended up making things so much worse than he ever intended to.

Emma shook her head in return, lifting her shoulders lightly and then turned to Henry, placing her hand on his back and continuing to walk down the path.

Neal bowed his head, mentally cursing himself for all the hurt he had caused in the past and even all the hurt he was causing now. This day was supposed to go as smoothly as it possibly could and so far...it wasn't.

He shook his head to himself and then turned to catch up with Emma and Henry.

They walked around for a little while, Henry asking questions here and there to keep things going and things slowly started to loosen up again between Neal and Emma. Neal wasn't sure where his brain was today but he vowed to at least try not to bring up their past again and just focus on their day with Henry.

Despite it being a slightly warmer day for the season it was still a little bit chilly and they got to an area where a few homeless people were huddled together, some sleeping against each other.

A small, bittersweet smile took over Neal's lips as he watched them, remembering a time when he and Emma were in a similar position.

_It had been a hot day and was an even warmer night and even with the windows cracked open the bug was too stuffy for two people to sleep in. _

_Neal parked the car near an abandoned building, only a block or two away from the city park. He grinned over at Emma through the darkness as they walked quietly down the streets, two blankets strung over their shoulders. _

"_Neal." She whispered as she squeezed his hand, smiling back at him. "We're going to get caught." _

"_Babe." His dark eyes twinkled in mirth. "When have we ever been caught." _

"_Well we never actually slept outside the car before." She retorted. _

"_There's a first time for everything." He shot back. "And besides, hobos sleep in this park all the time." _

"_Oh so we're hobos now." Her lips curled up in a light, teasing smile and he grinned down at her._

"_Sort of, yeah." He chuckled before looking around the vacant street and then pulling her across to the park. _

_She let out a soft yelp as he grabbed her around the waist and they tumbled to the ground, both erupting in peels of laughter. _

"_Neal." She lightly thwacked his chest, her voice slightly scolding but unable to keep the smile off her lips. "Someone is going to hear us." _

"_Who? The bats? There's no one here, Emma. Look," He adjusted his position so his hands were on either side of her head and he was hovering over her. "I've done this before. We just get up before anyone else does." _

_Emma raised her brow. "And that's going to be easy?" _

_He smirked. "For me, yeah." He laughed as she gasped and thwacked his chest again. He swooped down so his face was only inches away from hers and the charming smile that made her weak at the knees spread over his face. "Don't worry babe," He whispered huskily. "I'll wake you up." _

"_You better." She whispered, her eyes locking onto his and his smile widened as he closed the remaining distance between them with a sweet kiss. _

He was roused from his memory at the sound of a small child screeching in the distance. His heart dropped into his stomach as he realized he was now eleven years older, on the opposite side of the country and the same woman who had looked at him with such love could now not even stand him. He swallowed thickly and shook his head, turning away and sneaking a glance over to Emma. To his surprise he found her staring at the small group of the homeless, her expression just that much softer and a distant look in her eyes and he wondered, if at that moment she was remembering the same thing.

Slowly her eyes trailed upwards and locked on his for a short second before they widened slightly and she jerked her head away.

Neal wasn't sure what to make of her reaction but there was a twinge at his heart and a small smile playing at his lips.

Somewhere along the road, Henry ended up a few feet in front of them and he and Emma were left to walk next to each other. Much to Neal's surprise and relief, Emma didn't try to walk away but kept a slight distance between them and kept her eyes forward.

Neal shoved his hands into his pockets and watched Henry's back as he walked happily ahead of them. After a few more minutes of total silence, Neal licked his lips and turned to look at her. "Emma?" He started a bit hesitantly.

Emma shut her eyes for a second and then turned to him in annoyance. "What Neal?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It's not about us, I promise."

Emma let out a sigh, her face softening only somewhat before she nodded for him to continue. Neal bit down on his lip for a moment before asking, "Why do you call him Gold?"

Emma's brow lifted, surprised that Neal would want to talk about his father at all. "Your father?"

He nodded quietly, eyeing her questioningly.

"Well," She let out a breath, "That's his name...at least in Storybrooke. Everyone there, who was cursed, had a different identity under the curse. My mother, Snow White, was Mary Margaret, my father was David...though I'm pretty sure that's his actual name. Anyway," She shook her head, "Rumplestiltskin was Mr. Gold. I personally refuse to call him Rumplestiltskin and quite frankly, Gold is much easier to say, especially if you're yelling at him."

Neal let out a breathy laugh as he looked down. If there was anyone who wouldn't be afraid to stand up to the Dark One it'd be Emma.

Emma's lips twitched slightly in a smirk as she watched him, just a bit glad that he could find a laugh in discussing his father. And though she was furious at Neal, she disliked Gold that much more for putting Neal through hell as a boy.

"Did he do anything to you?" Neal asked, the smile fading from his lips. "Hurt you in any way?"

"He needed to break the curse." She said softly with a shrug. "He was a little creepy but no...he never hurt me. At least not until the curse broke."

"What?" Neal's eyes widened in horror. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing, nothing." Emma shook her head. "He threatened my family but now...I don't think he'll go through with it."

Neal's brow twitched in confusion and Emma sighed. "You're his son, and he's your son." She motioned to Henry. "I'm sure Gold is smart enough to figure out that if he hurts Henry..."

"I'll kill him." Neal hissed, his eyes darkening.

Emma eyed him warily. "Exactly. If Gold ever had plans on following through I doubt he does now. I think...he wants your forgiveness more than anything."

Neal rolled his eyes. "He was threatening you in my apartment and then acted like it was nothing. Magic or no magic, he's still the same. Threatening anyone who gets in his way." He scoffed and shook his head. "I came here to escape that man and if he thinks he can just barge into my life again and be that same dark presence...threaten my family..."

Seeing Neal slowly bubbling up in rage to the point where Henry had stopped and was looking back at them in concern, and even a few strangers gave them looks as they walked past, Emma made a rash decision and took a few steps toward him, reaching out to touch his arm.

At Emma's touch, Neal froze and looked down at her, his wild brown eyes meeting her cool green ones. She frowned in slight concern and awkwardly rubbed her fingers against his arm. "Hey, Neal, calm down."

He swore quietly under his breath as he turned away from her, running his hand through his hair with a heavy sigh before turning back. "I'm sorry. He gets me so angry..."

"I know." She said softly.

He let out another heavy, deep sigh, closing his eyes until he calmed himself down. He reopened his eyes to find Henry standing right beside him and the deep concern and worry in his eyes nearly took his breath away. "Are you okay?" He asked in a small voice.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he reached over and placed his hand on Henry's shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah buddy, I'm okay. Sorry you had to see that."

An almost identical smile crossed Henry's face. "It's okay. You're mad at your dad."

_Mad would be an understatement_, he thought but he only nodded in response.

Keeping his hand on Henry's shoulder, he turned to Emma who had seemed to put her walls back up but kept a little bit of that softness in her eyes. "Alright, listen, I know I've had enough of this. I know you've had enough of this and we shouldn't be doing this in front of the kid. For the rest of the day, there will be no more talking about our past, no more talking about my father, or anything that will upset any of us. Today is a day to enjoy Manhattan."

Emma pressed her lips together and nodded in agreement. "That is fine by me."

"Great." Neal sighed and he almost felt the weight come off his shoulders.

"So," Emma crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him expectantly, "What's next?"

His brow creased in thought and he looked down at Henry, searching for any places he might be interested in. Then he looked up and Emma's eyes narrowed slightly as a sly grin spread across his face.

"I think I know just the place."

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me."

Neal chuckled and looked over at Emma. "What? You must have watched them as a kid."

"Yeah...before I knew who I was." She shot back.

He grinned cheekily. "That just makes it all the more fun." The tip of his tongue popped out between his lips in childish excitement as he raised his brow and nodded towards the entrance. "Come on."

"Ugh." Emma groaned and reluctantly followed Neal, rolling her eyes as they passed under the giant 'Disney' sign.

The only thing that made up for her complete dislike of Neal's sense of humor was Henry's face upon entering the building. The kid literally lived a fairytale, with both set of his grandparents being classic fairytale characters, and yet he still held that childlike wonder like any kid does on seeing anything Disney.

Looking around the store, Emma almost couldn't believe this was her life. They had plushies and dolls and T-shirts all plastered with mainstream versions of the people she befriended and loved.

And somehow she wasn't surprised when they ended up in the princess section of the store and Henry gasped as he ran over to one of the shelves stocked with Snow White merchandise. He took one of the Snow White dolls off the shelf and turned to Emma with a grin, "Can we bring this home to grandma?"

From the other side of the shelf, Neal snorted and Emma shot him a glare. His annoying, sheepish smile reached his eyes and she rolled her eyes before turning back to Henry.

"You think she'll like it?"

Henry nodded enthusiastically. "Totally!"

"Fine." She sighed and Henry grinned happily, clutching the doll of his grandmother to his chest before moving to explore the rest of the surrounding shelves.

Beside her she heard Neal chuckling and she turned to him. "Shut up, Cassidy."

"Oh come on. This is fun and you know it."

She turned to face him and leaned across the shelf to whisper. "You're just lucky you're not in the store."

His grin got impossibly wider. "You're not either. Although," He turned, spotting something out of the corner of his eye. Emma's eyes narrowed curiously as he reached behind him and turned back, presenting a Rapunzel plushie doll. "An argument could be made."

Emma scoffed and shot him an exasperated look. "I hate you."

An hour ago he would have taken the words to heart, but standing here, in this atmosphere, the awkward tension lifting, it only made him smirk knowingly.

Emma groaned again, taking the doll from him only to throw it at him and then march off to catch up with Henry.

Neal watched her go, chuckling to himself, placed the doll back on the shelf and then strolled over to them.

They thankfully got out of the princess department pretty quickly, after Henry filled his Snow White satisfaction, there wasn't much there for an eleven year old boy. As he passed the plushie section with a plushie of almost every disney animal to ever be created he pointed to one on the third shelf. "Hey, it's Archie!"

Sure enough there was a Jiminy Cricket plush, lined up with its identicals, smiling at them happily.

"That is sort of creepy, actually." Emma scrunched up her face as she stared at them. "Come on, kid, let's keep moving." She steered him away and Neal smirked, his hands in his pockets as he followed behind them quietly.

They walked around the store for a little bit, Henry elated at finding the Marvel section of the store and he didn't have to do much pleading at all to get his new found father to buy him a couple things much to Emma's disapproval.

With his bag full of gifts inside, Henry happily walked back out onto the busy streets of New York, his parents close behind him.

Seeing the sky had darkened a little bit and the sun was just beginning to set, Neal stole a glance at his watch. "Are you two hungry? If we want to eat at a restaurant we should go now to beat the crowd."

"Henry?" Emma asked as she looked down at her son. "Are you hungry?"

Henry nodded and Neal smiled. "Great, I know a good place. Only several blocks from here. Best burgers in New York." He waved them on and Henry eagerly took off to stand next to his father and Emma let out a soft sigh before following them.

They arrived at a place called Juniors several minutes later and thankfully, just beat the rush and a table for three was available within five minutes.

They settled down to eat, Neal and Henry ordering the cheeseburger, Henry taking his father's advice in ordering it and Emma went for something a little less fattening, a grilled chicken sandwich.

Neal and Henry hit it off talking again and Emma was more than content to just sit and listen to them. Lately things had been off for Henry, losing her and his grandmother to another world for several days, thinking his adopted mother was the murderer of his therapist, dealing with the pain of losing that friend he had in Archie, and then leaving Storybrooke to find Mr. Gold's long lost son who then turned out to be his own 'dead' father. But as he sat there, completely relaxed and a never ending smile plastered on his face as he talked and laughed with Neal, it was a sight Emma wished she could see forever.

And Neal, though things between them had been rough since the day before, it was obvious to anyone that he was completely smitten with his son. He looked to be as happy as he was when they were together, all those years ago. A true, happy smile across his lips, his eyes bright with warmth and adoration every time he looked at the eleven year old. They shared an automatic, special bond and it was heart warming.

Every once in a while, Neal or Henry would try to bring her into their conversation but it always ended with them two solely focused on each other.

Just after she finished eating, Emma excused herself to use the ladies room. Henry watched his mother disappear down the hall and once she was gone, he turned back to look at Neal.

Neal's brow furrowed at the odd look on Henry's face and he reached over to gently touch his wrist. "Everything alright over there?"

"Yeah." Henry sighed and leaned forward. "It's just...I had a lot of fun today."

Neal blinked. "And that's...bad?"

"No!" Henry whipped his head up quickly, his eyes wide. "But..." He chewed on his lip softly as he played with his napkin. "I don't want it to end."

Neal pursed his lips and gently rubbed his fingers over Henry's wrist. "We've still got desert to eat."

"I don't mean today." Henry explained and Neal turned his head inquisitively. "I mean...I don't know when but we have to go back to Storybrooke soon. And..." He swallowed softly as he looked Neal in the eyes. "I don't want to leave you."

Neal felt the air leave his lungs in a slow release of breath as he stared back at the boy. He could hardly come to reason that this was actually his son, it was a whole other ballgame to know that Henry actually wanted him around.

His memories before the Dark One were hazy but he did remember that he and his father did everything together. They were all each other had after his mother was gone. And when his father became the Dark One and ruined all of that, forcing him to this world, to live on his own without a father...well, he didn't have a very good perception of fathers. He simultaneously met his own again and learned he was one and at the time, it hadn't really sunk in. But now it had, he was a father, and his son is nearly the same age he was when he lost his father. Neal had the chance to give to his son what he never got from Rumplestiltskin. A father that truly loved him, that was there for him always, and would never, ever leave him.

"Henry..." He whispered and he moved his chair closer to him. "You don't have to lose me. I'm not going anywhere."

Henry looked up at him, his lips twitching for a moment. "Would you come to Storybrooke?"

Neal's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't actually thought about that. Emma would not stay in New York, she had a home, she had her family back in Storybrooke. So if he wanted to be in Henry's life, he would have to move to Storybrooke...with his father.

At his lack of response, Henry looked down at the table. "You don't want to."

"Hey, hey." Neal moved even closer so their arms were touching and he gently nudged Henry's side. "I didn't say that."

"I know you don't." Henry looked back up at him and the look in his eyes nearly broke Neal's heart. "Because of Mr. Gold."

Neal clenched his jaw and frowned. "Alright," He relented, "You're right, I don't want to go back with him."

Henry's face dropped and Neal's heart leapt into his throat. He slid his hand over a couple inches and grabbed Henry's hand. "I'll tell you what. I'll think about it, okay? And its not because of you. I don't want to leave you either."

"Really?" Henry asked quietly, a twinge of hope in his eyes and that was enough to put the smile back on Neal's face.

"Really. I just found you, kid. I'm not giving you up."

Henry visibly brightened and he sat up straight, sharing a grin with Neal. Neal gave his hand a small squeeze and then moved back to his original spot just in time for Emma to walk back.

As she took her seat, she saw the two of them sharing a secretive smile and she narrowed her eyes. "Were you talking about me?"

"No." Neal answered, turning to her with a smirk. "We were talking about...cars."

Emma shot him a look, clearly disbelieving that and Henry giggled as he grabbed a french fry off his plate.

"I don't want to know." Emma muttered, shaking her head and Neal and Henry shared another look.

They ordered desert after that, one slice of cheesecake to share amongst the three of them. Then Emma and Neal argued over who should pay the bill, ending with Emma paying for herself, half of Henry's and the tip.

When they finally got out of the restaurant, the sky was just beginning to fade to dark blue. Henry stared in awe at all the lights as they walked through Times Square and both parents watched him in adoration.

After about fifteen minutes of walking around they hitched a cab and rode it back to the hotel. After another small squabble about the money, and Neal practically stealing Emma's wallet just to get her to put it away, Neal paid the fare and they all got out of the cab.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked as Neal started following her into the hotel lobby.

He raised his hands innocently. "What? Am I not allowed to be a gentleman and walk you to your room?"

Emma rolled her eyes and turned away to keep walking, trying to hide the small smirk on her lips. She shook her head as she heard Neal chuckle and talk to Henry as they walked toward the elevator.

* * *

Rumplestiltskin sat quietly in his dimly lit hotel room, perched in one of the arm chairs overlooking the window. Miss Swan and Henry had been gone all day, he heard them leaving earlier and knew they had not returned. And though he was completely disheartened by the fact, he knew there was no use in trying to talk to Baelfire again. His boy had made it perfectly clear he did not want to see him. So he sat in that chair, staring out at the city streets, watching people go by.

He was pulled out of his deep state of thought that he'd drifted into hours ago by the sound of footsteps in the hall. It was nothing out of the ordinary, he was in a hotel after all, but it was the laughter that accompanied the footsteps that drove him back to reality.

The laughter was deeper but it was familiar. The sound had been burned into his memory for over three hundred years, the only happy thing he had left of his Baelfire.

He slowly rose from the chair, the ache in his leg much more painful than ever and he hobbled over to the door, carefully opening it and peeking his head outside.

Down just several feet away, at the room next to his, Emma, Henry and Bae stood gathered around the door. The way Bae was smiling, genuine and full of joy and love, as he smiled down at Henry tugged at his heart strings. Another laugh escaped his lips and his face scrunched up in delight as he reached down and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Henry asked, looking up at Bae hopefully.

Bae adopted a small frown. "Tomorrow is Monday. I have to go to work, bud."

"Oh." Henry's face fell slightly and Bae reached out to touch his shoulder.

"I have an idea...how about before I go to work, I meet you downstairs and we have breakfast together."

"Okay!" Henry's face lit up again and Bae chuckled. "Seven thirty okay?" He asked, looking between Emma and Henry and Emma's head nodded once while Henry's smiled.

"Alright, seven thirty it is."

"Goodnight Dad." Came the sweet wish from Henry's lips and Bae's face lit up with a smile.

"Goodnight Henry." His boy wished back and squeezed his shoulder affectionately as Emma opened the door and let Henry in.

Bae turned his gaze to Emma and his bright smile became softer but sadder and his arm hesitated in the air for a moment before it lightly settled on her arm. "Thank you." He said.

"For what?" Came Emma's reply.

"For letting me spend time with him...and with you."

Emma bowed her head for a moment and then looked back up at him. "Goodnight Neal." She whispered so softly, he could barely hear it.

"Goodnight." Bae whispered back as she disappeared into the hotel room. He softly bit his lip as the door clicked shut and looked down for a moment, tapping his fingers against his thigh.

He let out a soft sigh and then turned to walk down the hall when he froze, his face dropping as he caught sight of him, standing in his doorway.

Rumplestiltskin could feel his heart break all over again with the way Bae was staring back at him, the warm expression he had just held for Emma and Henry completely faded to cold anger.

"I have nothing to say to you." Bae told him coldly and then turned to walk in the other direction. He walked a few steps and then paused, his back going rigid and his fists lightly curling at his sides. Then he turned back and walked quickly towards him and for a moment, Rumple thought Bae was going to attack him.

But he stopped just in front of the door, his dark eyes even darker with quiet rage. "Did you threaten Emma?"

His eyes widened slightly and he opened his mouth to reply but found words failed him under the intense glare of his son. Bae clenched his jaw and leaned in closer. "Did you threaten Emma and her family?"

He let out a quiet breath, indeed remembering the threat he made to the darling Charmings just before he left. "Yes. I was upset, Bae.."

Bae's eyes narrowed. "I don't care about the reason!" He growled. "You say you've changed, that you can change, but from where I'm standing you haven't. If I hadn't come into my own apartment yesterday, would you have hurt Emma?"

"Bae..."

"Would you?" He stressed.

Inhaling deeply, Rumple looked him in the eyes, pressing his brow together meaningfully. "Of course not, Bae."

Bae narrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I don't believe you." He said coldly. "See, that's the thing. You lie and you tell people what they want to hear. Manipulate them until they are your little play thing." He swallowed thickly. "I refuse to be that again and I refuse to let you do that to Emma and Henry. You want to prove to me you can change? Leave them alone."

Rumple steadied himself on his cane as Bae leaned in dangerously close. "Because if any harm falls to them by your hand..." Bae's body quivered but with anger more than anything and he looked him directly in the eye and the threat was so clearly written in his dark eyes, no words needed to be spoken.

Before he could get another word in, Bae turned away from him with a huff and stormed down the hallway, never looking back.

Rumple closed his eyes, his face falling in despair. He didn't know what he was expecting from their reunion but it certainly wasn't that. He let out a resigned sigh and turned back to hobble back into his room, leaving him once again to his regret.


End file.
